Team News Riveting
Raipur, February 14
State-owned National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) aims to produce about 47-50 million tonnes (MT) of iron ore during the next financial year as against the expected 45 million tonnes in the current fiscal.
“We are planning at least 47 to 50 (million tonnes) in the next financial year (2022-23). This year, we should end around 44-45,” Amitava Mukherjee, NMDC Director (Finance), said. He was speaking during the Q3 (third quarter) FY22 (financial year 2021-22) earnings conference call. And if things go well, NMDC can end up with anything between 43 to 45, he added.
The country’s largest iron ore producer has a 2.5-million-ton up gradation in the plants in Bacheli that is going to come up. So, that will be commissioned from around mid-next year. It is the 2.5-million-ton fifth line in Bacheli plant along with up gradation of downhill conveyor and NMDC has applied for EC (environment clearance) for I0 million ton at Kumarswami. “If the approvals come in, some growth would be seen there also,” Mukherjee said, adding that NMDC expects in FY 23-24 in fact, about 50 to 50 (million tonnes) plus (output).
If the company does around 44 this year, Chhattisgarh will be doing around 30 million ton. “Subsequently, if we go up to around 35 to 37 million in phases and then in the long term, when Deposit- 13 and Deposit-4 also come then Chhattisgarh itself will give around more than 60 to 70 million around 70 million tons, 65 to 70 but that will be 2030 approximately,” Mukherjee added.
He said, “I think this year it will be around 30-31 So, FY23 I think it will be around 34 to 35., 2.5 million downhill conveyor at Bacheli coming up, coming in we are doing the waste mining. So, that will. In any case dispatch is not a constraint even as on date. Even a 35 dispatch will not be a constraint.”
Talking about the capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the financial year 2022-23, the NMDC Director (Finance) said next year they were planning around 3500 (crore) of which around the 2000 crore would be NISP (NMDC Iron and Steel Plant) that is the steel plant. If the steel plant is demerged then for the mining business it will be around Rs 1500 crore. Mostly on slurry pipeline which will be more than Rs 500 cores and then NMDC have a major project of screening plant III at Kirandul which is a 12-million-ton capacity expansion plant.
